Dolby (DLB)

Dolby is the type of company you just cannot go wrong with whenever you buy the stock at the right price. The only difficultly is that DLB rarely trades at a cheap enough price.

I’ve been following DLB for a couple of years now and the company just continues to perform excellently. As long as people have ears and listen to things, DLB will be there somehow. The company collects royalties from its sound technology licenses and with Dolby technology in the cinema, tv, blu ray, Windows and the list goes on.

DLB has always had excellent fundamentals and organic growth. FCF over for the past 5 years has grown by about 56% and management has been able to make a return of 18.4c off every $1 of cash invested.

Capex is very low compared to its revenue which is why every 20c from $1 of sales is converted to FCF.

All I can do is just wait for the price I’m hoping for.

Price as of writing: $42.06

DCF: $42.06

Graham Formula: $40.19

EPV: $34.41

Synaptics (SYNA)

Another company that looks to be continually improving. Synaptics sells user interface devices such as the touchpad on your laptop, the iPod, touch screen devices and so on.

Despite the recession 2009 the company posted it’s highest revenue backed by big positive flows of cash to the bottom line. This may be due to the huge exponential demand for innovative user interfaces in devices.

While CROIC is average at 8.9%, cash growth from operations increased by 29.4% over the past 5 years while FCF grew at 20.7%.

Margins are also improving while at the same time they’ve been reducing debt.

Price as of writing: $25.14

DCF: $27.48

Graham Formula: $21.55

EPV: $17.96

Jos. A. Bank Clothiers (JOSB)

One of the many missed opportunities of 2008. In part 3 of the 2008 Forbes best companies list, JOSB was one of the few rare companies to be trading a what I considered to be a margin of safety. Now, it seems like the company value continues to advance with the new estimate now up to the $50’s compared to the mid $40’s last year.

Over the past 5 years, the company exhibits excellent fundamentals with great FCF growth, good consistent CROIC and returns.

Margins is super steady and consistent.

Capex seems to be hanging steady at the $30m range while revenues continue on up. JOSB seems to be a great example of price meeting value.

Price as of writing: $42.62

DCF: $50.18

Graham Formula: $51.99

EPV: $53.20

Capella Education Company (CPLA)

Education stocks are effective recession proof investments but I’m just not sure why they all trade at such high premiums. Of all the education stocks I’ve gone through, they all look to be trading much higher than intrinsic value.

While the future may be rosy, growth is just too murky to try and estimate which is why my conservative values of future predictions indicate CPLA well over intrinsic value.

I personally have yet to meet a value investor that owns a big position in education companies.

Price as of writing: $71.91

DCF: $43.25

Graham Formula: $41.53

EPV: $44.51

Middleby Corp (MIDD)

The company has never been at a loss during the past 10 years. Capex is very low at less than $10m but their net asset book value is negative as a big portion is made up of goodwill and other intangibles.

Price as of writing: $47.52

DCF: $50.06

Graham Formula: $67.09

EPV: $20.32

Summary

Despite a large portion of the list being made up of growth stocks, a handful of companies are worthy of studying and keeping an eye on. We’ll see what the next bunch can offer.

Disclosure

No positions in any stocks mentioned.

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